Great News!

Anthony Bourdain has a new Blog...via the Travel Channel. Awesome. Another web site to distract me during work. Oh well.

Now all you AB fans can enjoy some more frequent rant-ings from the man himself.

Ant-a-ny

I love that fact that Anthony Bourdain in this TV GUIDE interview can still be honest and does not feel the need to blow smoke up the interviewer's ass. I guess that is why so many people like and respect him, he keeps it honest and has a "I have nothing to loose" attitude. I think for some of us that is refreshing.

That being said I am 100% jealous of this guy. What an amazing job. Granted he was been in the underbelly of the cooking community, how many vegetables has he washed and how many Sunday brunches has he worked? I guess getting eat and drink the world is deserving.

Still jealous.

Happy New Year

Well as you can see there has not been much posting as of late. I hope to change that and try to post at least 3-4 times a week.

My wife and I have three couples over for news years prior to dinner at a Kansas City favorite, Plaza III. My wife had the great idea of having every couple bring a bottle of champagne and we would do a blind tasting. It was really a lot of fun and I would recommend throwing one, we will definitely do it again.

We had five bottles; (1) Argyle; (2) Piper; (3) veuve-clicquot (my wife’s favorite); (4) Moet; (5) and the red headed step child, Andre.

Believe it or not Argyle won and to nobody’s surprise Andres came in dead last.

Hope everyone’s New Year is starting off well and keep a look out for new posts!

How Could I Not…

So it seems I do have a lot of posts on soup. That being said it is winter and nothing goes better with cold lazy afternoons like a good homemade soup. The recipe below I have not actually tried but found it here. Since we live in the KC Metro I pretty much have to post it, and make it. It’s not like the Chiefs are all that exciting.

Kansas City Steak Soup

1 Lb Round Steak, chopped
1 cup Margarine (Personally I would use butter…will re-post once I make this)
1 cup flour
½ gallon water
¼ tablespoon, ground black pepper
1 large carrot, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
1 (16 oz) package of frozen mixed veggies
16 oz can of stewed tomatoes
12 cubes beef bouillon
2 tablespoons margarine (see above)

- Make a roux by melting the butter or margarine, then stirring in the flour. Brown gently.
- Gradually add 2 cups of the water to the roux and stir until smooth. Add the remaining water, the carrot, onion, celery, frozen vegetables, canned tomatoes, and beef base granules.
- In a skillet sauté the steak in 2 tablespoons butter or margarine until browned. Drain off all the grease. Add the browned steak to the soup and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours or until the vegetables are tender. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Once cooked this soup may be frozen for later use.

Gift Ideas

There is a great list of gift ideas over at Serious Eats for those who enjoy the drink. There is some really cool things that people may not buy for themselves but would love to have for their collection. Hint, Hint.

Well it's about time...

Wow. Urban Outfitters has done it again.

Jesus what am I saying I have never bought a damn thing from that place. Things may change though.

That's right, you have seen it at Fraternity parties, KU tailgates, and lonely Tuesday nights...wait.

Now you can own your very own shrine to binge drinking.

Looks like you put water in the mold and freeze. Wow, could that be any easier?

Make the most of the “Holiday Party” this year.

SPIKE THE PUNCH BOWL. Honestly what happened to the long forgotten art of spiking the punch bowl? Oh. Right that pretty much only happened in the movies.

When is the last time you were actually at a party where there was a punch bowl that had a liquid that everyone was drinking from? That’s what I thought. I think the punch bowl has lost it’s appeal as of late. Is it all that surprising? I don’t think so.

Anyway…if that sales pitch did not sway you away from making punch here is a receipe that will assure everyone will enjoy this years holiday party.

4 Lemons
1 cup sugar (in the raw)
4 tea bags (English breakfast or something similar)
1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice (no pulp)
2 ½ cups Cognac (oh doctor) (use good stuff…Pierre Ferrand Ambre or Martell Noblige
1 ½ cups dark Rum (again…don’t be a cheap-o…Coruba or another full bodied rum)
Nutmeg

Before making this punch place 2-quart bowl of water in the freezer, peal the lemons and put the peals in a heatproof bowl. Add sugar to lemon peels and mash together. Bring a quart of water to a boil, remove from heat and add the tea bags. After 5-7 minuets, remove tea bags and pour tea onto the sugar and peels, stir until dissolved. Add the fresh-squeezed lemon juice. Add the cognac and rum. Stir well and place in refrigerator for an hour or so.

Serve in an ornamental bowl, place the frozen 2-quart block of ice into the bowl and enjoy.

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